No more dining al fresco.
After months of trying to appeal the decision, Pala Pizza are being forced to close their outdoor space on May 10th. They took to Instagram to share the disappointing update with their followers, saying they had officially exhausted all avenues and had no choice but to accept the council’s decision.
Pala faced a similar issue last year, when their license was up for renewal, but they managed to stick around as so many people got in touch with the council on their behalf.
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Pala Pizza initially opened in 2021
Pala revealed their regret at the council’s decision, believing it totally goes against their 2022 “outdoor realm” policy which encouraged the use of outdoor dining spaces. In their caption they state that “Covid brought few positives but one such one was the gathering of communities in an outdoor environment, with the influx of outdoor coffee bars and dining areas across the country.”
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This sheds light on a wider issue, and Pala’s owner said they thought the decision to remove their outdoor space lacked logic as well as foresight, given how popular such spaces were during the pandemic, and continue to be well into 2023. By removing their terrace, there will be space for three extra car park spaces, which Pala’s owner thought was a weak argument and went against their attempt to reduce the amount of cars and traffic in the village.
Lovin’ Dublin have reached out to the council for comment.
Fans of the Foxrock pizzeria need not fret too much as Pala will continue to run as an indoor space despite this latest development. Owner Rory finished his announcement with this message:
“This is the last you will hear of it from me; & myself and the team really look forward to welcoming you upstairs at Pala for Pints, Pizza, chilled Rose and freshly rolled out Pasta.”
While we’ll miss dining at Pala al fresco, we’re glad they’re not closing entirely. They open Thursday through to Sunday.
Header images via Instagram/palapizza18
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